Western Bulldogs coach Rodney Eade says his players' improved fitness is helping them run over the top of opposition teams this AFL season.

The Bulldogs kept hold of third spot when they booted 11 goals to five in the second half of Friday night's game against Essendon and won 15.13 (103) to 11.4 (70).

That followed their last-quarter charge against Collingwood in round 15, when they got within a point after trailing by 34 at three-quarter time.

Eade said the Bulldogs had improved their fitness dramatically this year under Bill Davoren, who joined the club after a successful career as a coach with Triathlon Australia.

Eade said the Bulldogs answered challenges by out-scoring the Bombers - ranked the best third-quarter side in the competition - in the third term, and then pulling away in the last.

"We're close to the best last-quarter team in the competition and their (Essendon's) last quarters are still pretty good, so we'd spoken about a challenge of not only our fitness levels but our mental ability to be able while you're fatigued," he said.

"It's one thing being fit but it's another being able to apply it. I thought our players answered that challenge very well."

That performance should hold the Bulldogs in good stead for their next clash, against ladder-leading St Kilda next Saturday.

Eade was again pleased with his defenders, as Brian Lake kept Matthew Lloyd to two goals (both in the last quarter), Tom Williams blanketed Scott Lucas and Dale Morris kept Kyle Reimers in check.

Essendon coach Matthew Knights was left bemoaning that lack of impact from his key forwards, who were regularly out-marked and could not bring the ball to ground for their smaller teammates.

Knights also highlighted the difference in the sides' disposal standards, as Essendon's fell away the longer the game progressed.

"We got a bit tired and fatigued and we couldn't hit our targets as well as they could," he said.

"That's a learning thing from this game that we've got to keep having high standards with that skill execution.

"Their disposal is immaculate when they're in the zone ... they really hit their targets well and they put us under a lot of pressure."

The Bombers, who sit precariously in eighth spot, play Richmond in round 17.

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